Looking at the curious black object, Lukas hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him.
[Mask of the Combat Alchemist (Unique)] – An intimidating mask used by an alchemist in their pursuit of power. This mask blocks and filters out all toxic or poisonous fumes and gases, whether they come from the creation of poisons or their use on the battlefield. When worn, the mask does not obstruct the wearer’s vision, making it seem as though the mask isn’t there.
Enchantments: Cleansed Air (filters air breathed by the wearer, removing all negative effects).
Requirements: Soulbound.
Taken aback by the lengthy description, Lukas read it again, amazed by what the mask offered. It was practically a gas mask. While Lukas hadn’t needed something like that yet, he was sure he would eventually. Judging by how sturdy it looked, he’d bet it could take a hit or two, and Lukas wouldn’t say no to a form of armor.
He picked up the mask and turned it over in his hands. It was cool to the touch, impossibly smooth and polished, yet it gave no reflection. While the mask was a marvel, Lukas quickly found two problems. First, there were no eye holes, and although the description claimed it wouldn’t obstruct his vision, he found that hard to believe—even with magic. The second issue was the lack of straps or any fastening device to hold the mask to his face.
Frowning, Lukas held the mask in front of his face and tried to look through it... but he couldn’t. It was just a solid black piece with nothing visible beyond it. Still frowning, he held it closer to his face, and then something changed. The mask seemed to pull toward him, as if guided by an unseen force. Lukas obliged, and the mask clicked into place over his face. Suddenly, the solid black that had blocked his vision vanished, allowing him to see the room clearly. It was odd—he could still feel the mask in his hand but saw nothing obstructing his face. He was still considering the mask when he felt a sharp pain in his chest, one that rose in severity like heart burn. Forgetting the mask, Lukas clutched at his chest, grunting through the pain. Before he could do much else, the pain began to subside and a new notification appeared.
You have successfully soul bound [Mask of the Combat Alchemist].
With the pain now gone, Lukas tried to pull the mask away but felt resistance, like trying to separate two magnets. With a little extra effort, the mask came free, reappearing in front of his eyes and once again blocking his vision.
"That didn't feel nice," he grimaced, still rubbing at his chest.
For the next few minutes, Lukas poked and prodded the mask, putting it on and taking it off repeatedly. Still intrigued by its magic, Lukas decided to keep it on for now. After all, everyone knew that if a dungeon gave you a cool item, you were definitely going to need it soon.
Satisfied with the first item, Lukas moved on to the next: a book.
[Tome of the Combat Alchemist (Unique)] – A tome produced by the Combat Alchemist detailing their unique path to power. Absorbing this tome allows one to gain basic knowledge sufficient to acquire a class. Note that this item is one-time use, and its effects cannot be undone.
Requirements: Ability to use mana.
Uses: 1/1
Requirements not met!
Lukas furrowed his brow. There was a lot to unpack with this one. First, his Identify skill called this a “tome,” which was a stretch. A tome was supposed to be a massive, dusty book with thousands of pages, bigger than a grown man’s torso. This little thing barely looked like a notebook, and it probably had fewer than two hundred pages. How it could hold someone’s life story was beyond him.
Second, the tome had to be absorbed. Not only did it say so in the description, but Lukas knew because the clasp wouldn’t budge, preventing him from opening and reading the book. How exactly was one supposed to “absorb” a book, anyway?
Third, the tome could give him a class. Lukas had long wondered how to get one, and now the opportunity was right in front of him. Maybe this was how he’d start gaining levels—through classes. If that were true, he’d do whatever it took to get stronger. But there was one problem.
He didn’t meet the requirements to use the tome. The requirement was the ability to use mana, which he did have. Lukas had a mana pool of 260, though he didn’t know how to use it. Still, shouldn’t that count?
It was something he needed to look into. Lukas needed that book for the class it promised. He just had to figure out how to actually use his mana, and now that he was in a safe environment, he could dedicate time to it. Maybe the library had something that could help.
Frowning beneath the mask, which he’d already forgotten he was wearing, Lukas moved on to the next item—a strange, quartz-like stone.
[Stone of Rebirth (Legendary)] – A rare, mystical stone that naturally forms in the world. This treasure, while useful to few, is highly sought after for its ability to reforge the body, enabling it to wield and hold magic after being absorbed. Note that this item is one-time use, and its effects cannot be undone.
Uses: 1/1
Lukas’ eyes widened as the solution to his problem appeared before him. Suddenly, he realized he was probably meant to go through the items from left to right, not the other way around. Putting the pieces together, it all made sense—a stone that would allow him to wield magic, a tome that could give him an alchemy-based class, and a mask to filter out poisonous fumes. The library, lab, and garden all clicked into place.
This entire dungeon was designed to help him learn alchemy.
Grinning like a cat who’d caught the canary, Lukas snatched up the stone. This was his chance to grab power, and he wasn’t going to let it slip away. If his theory was right, and this place was meant to teach alchemy, he’d dedicate himself to mastering it. Once he left this dungeon, he’d be all the more powerful, ready to take on stronger enemies and grow even faster.
But first, he had to figure out how to use the stone. The description said it had to be absorbed, but how was that done? For a moment, Lukas wondered if he’d need some kind of magic circle. His thoughts were interrupted as the stone began to melt in his hand like a ball of wax, seeping into his skin.
Lukas panicked, thinking he’d ruined the stone and his chance at growing stronger. But then he realized the stone was reacting to his desires, just like his abilities and the shower. When he accessed his inventory, it wasn’t because he thought “open inventory”—he simply wanted it to open. The shower had worked similarly, responding to his wish for it to activate. Now the stone was doing the same. Lukas wanted to absorb it, so it just happened.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Lukas wondered what that meant, but he was quickly distracted by what was happening to his hand. The Stone of Rebirth had turned into a strange gelatinous goop that stuck to his skin, slowly absorbing like water. The entire process took less than half a minute until the stone had completely disappeared.
Was that it? Did he have magic now? Could he absorb the tome as well? These thoughts were quickly overshadowed by what came next. All over his body, Lukas’ skin began to tingle with a pleasant warmth, like standing in the early morning sun on a summer day. A smile tugged at his lips as memories of family camping trips with his grandpa flashed in his mind—the smell of coffee brewing on a small gas stove and the sound of birds greeting the morning.
The warmth quickly intensified, making it feel as though Lukas were sitting in a bath, then in a sauna. The tingling increased, becoming a prickling sensation, as though his cells were being poked by needles—then stabbed by them repeatedly.
Within seconds, Lukas was gritting his teeth and leaning against the desk to stay upright. The pain was excruciating, and it only got worse, feeling as though his body was being torn apart at a molecular level. Soon, he could barely remain standing, but his muscles locked up, keeping him rigid as he lost control of his body.
Lukas didn’t even have the presence of mind to panic; the pain consumed him entirely. The process seemed to drag on for an eternity, and it became harder and harder to stay conscious. His vision swam, and he could feel himself slipping away.
Just as he was about to black out, the pain began to subside, slowly fading into blessed relief. The heat cooled to a pleasant warmth again, and the prickling sensation dissipated. Before long, the ordeal had completely passed, and Lukas was left panting and sweating, still leaning against the desk for support.
Despite the mental toll of the experience, his body felt fine—better than fine, even. It was as if none of it had ever happened. But the effects were undeniable; Lukas felt incredible. His body hummed with energy, and it was as though he held the power of the cosmos in his hands. His skin tingled, but this time it wasn’t the cool air of the cave against his sweat; it was something greater. The room seemed saturated with a kind of spiritual humidity, and Lukas knew instantly that it was magic—mana.
Pushing off the desk, Lukas stood on his own two feet, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel the power in even the smallest movements, like his stats had doubled. But he knew that wasn’t quite right. Without even checking, Lukas was sure he hadn’t gained any stat points. Instead, it felt as though they had been truly unlocked, only working at half their potential before.
A new notification hovered in his vision:
[Stone of Rebirth (Legendary)] has been successfully absorbed, and your body has been forever changed.
Effects:
Ability to use and manipulate mana has been unlocked.
Ability to sense ambient magic has been unlocked.
Classes have been unsealed.
Stats have been unrestricted.
Bodily functions have been altered.
Reading the notification, Lukas immediately opened his status page:
Lukas Hellstrand
Race: Human (Outworlder) – Level 0
Class 1: N/A
Class 2: N/A
Health Points: 137/360
Stamina: 98/260
Mana: 260/260
Stats
Vitality: 36
Endurance: 26
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 26
Agility: 27
Perception: 25
Toughness: 26
Strength: 28
Willpower: 28
Free Points: 0
Titles:
Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Worm.
Abilities:
Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel Gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).
There wasn’t much that had changed, aside from his classes now reading as "N/A" instead of "Sealed" and his health and stamina having taken a hit. Still, despite the lack of visible changes in his status, Lukas felt fundamentally different, reborn, just as the stone had promised.
There was no question in Lukas’ mind about what came next. He turned to the tome, hesitating for only a moment before snatching it up. He wanted to absorb it immediately but stopped himself. The Stone of Rebirth had already taken more than half his health, and while the tome’s effects would likely be far less strenuous, Lukas didn’t want to risk it.
With the tome in hand, Lukas circled around to the other side of the desk and sat down in the luxurious, comfortable chair. He let out a grunt as he sat, the kind a dad would make, before pulling out the restorative water and healing meat. Removing his new mask, he took a sip and a bite, watching in amazement as his health quickly regenerated. Though he had no injuries, the rapid restoration of his health points was proof that his newly unlocked stats were working wonders.
In just a few minutes, Lukas’ health had climbed past 180. It still felt unreal. Shaking his head with a smile, Lukas turned his attention back to the small book in his hand. Slightly nervous about what would happen when he began the process of absorbing it. All it took was thinking about wanting to absorb the tome, and it worked.
Lukas felt something leave him and enter the book instantly. It was a strange sensation, like a reverberation through his arm, and he thought he’d lost more health or stamina. But a quick check showed otherwise.
Health: 197/360
Stamina: 99/260
Mana: 200/260
For the first time, Lukas had used mana. He barely had time to process that revelation, though, as the tome began doing something. It crumbled in his hand, but instead of turning to dust, it transformed into motes of light. These motes floated toward Lukas’ head, hovering in the air for a moment before moving to enter him.
At first, he was reluctant at first, but he quickly relented, knowing the motes had to enter him if he wanted to gain the class. Forcing himself to stay still, he watched as the motes passed effortlessly through the mask he had forgotten he was still wearing. The first mote of light touched his forehead and vanished. One by one, the remaining motes followed.
And then the knowledge began to pour in.
Images, instructions, and information flooded his mind. It was a bizarre experience to have knowledge placed into his brain. He didn’t resist, letting the images pass quickly as more information filled his thoughts. Within seconds, the process was complete.
Lukas didn’t move from his spot as he processed what he had just learned. It was, admittedly, a little disappointing. The tome’s promise of "basic knowledge" was an overstatement. He had learned a bit more about the magical plants he already knew about, some useful information about plants he didn’t, what a cauldron was, that they were inscribed with runes to be infused with mana, the basics of using one, and the general process for concocting mixtures.
To be fair, the limited knowledge was still extremely useful, even though it wasn’t a lot. But it didn’t matter too much. Lukas was ready to tear through the library and learn what he needed. He was excited about alchemy, not just for its own sake, but because it was a path to real magic.
Excited to get started, Lukas checked his latest notifications:
[Tome of the Combat Alchemist (Unique)] has been successfully absorbed.
New class obtained: Combat Alchemist.
Combat Alchemist: A unique class that first emerged eons ago before disappearing. It now re-emerges in you. While other alchemists seek their fortune in the lab, making concoctions to sell, the Combat Alchemist looks to the battlefield, using their creations in combat.Stats per level: +1 Vitality, +1 Toughness, +1 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence, +2 Free Points.
Lukas grinned from ear to ear. Finally, he had a class—and he could gain levels and stats. He didn’t know exactly how leveling worked with the class he’d just gained, but he was sure as hell going to find out.
But first, there was something he couldn’t resist. Opening his status screen, Lukas took another look.
Lukas Hellstrand
Race: Human (Outworlder [Unique]) – Level 0
Class 1: Combat Alchemist – Level 0
Class 2: N/A
With a satisfied sigh, Lukas didn’t even have to think about what to do next. Rising from the comfortable chair, he strode confidently toward the library.
